Alpha Gray by C.J. Primer

CHAPTER     THIRTY-EIGHT

Fallon

I train hard all week, but something’s just off- I’m making stupid mistakes, sloppy errors. I know it’s because my emotions are on overdrive right now, but for the first time I can’t seem to just turn them off and focus. I miss Vienna. I miss Gray. I’m training harder than ever before, but I still feel like I’m behind.

Even the night sessions that we’ve been doing haven’t pulled me out of my rut. The five of us- Boyd, Davis, Shay, Connor, and me- have been sneaking out of the complex and into the forest after dinner each night to brush up on our moves and spar, but I still don’t feel like I’m improving. I’m terrified for the next cuts and rankings.

On Friday evening, Casey offers to lead our little after-hours training session and teach us a few things. She probably just wants to be around Davis since the extra training has been cutting into their time together, but we’re all appreciative nonetheless. Among the moves she demonstrates, Casey shows us how to do this really cool takedown that we haven’t learned at camp yet, and we pair off and spar for a while, trying to perfect it.

We’ve been at it for hours when Davis finally suggests that we call it a night and head back. Easy for him to say- he mastered it after a couple of attempts, while I’m still frustrated that I can’t quite get it down.

“Just a little bit longer?” I ask, looking around to my friends. We’re circled up in the clearing just outside of the gate to the complex where we’ve been practicing at night for the last week.

“I’m beat,” Connor grumbles, reaching up to rub one of his shoulders. He dislocated it late this afternoon and hasn’t really rested it since to allow it to fully heal.

“Same,” Shay agrees, scratching away some dried blood on her forearm. “Why don’t we just work on these again tomorrow?”

I fold my arms, kicking at the dirt. It’s not like I can practice the takedown without a sparring partner.

I look pleadingly to Davis and Boyd. I’m not ready to call it quits- I just need a little more time to get this particular move down. Casey is hanging off of Davis’ neck, gazing up at him adoringly.

“I can work with you guys again tomorrow, if you want…” Casey offers, not so subtly hinting to Davis that she’s ready to turn in for the evening.

Boyd makes eye contact with me and sighs. “You guys go ahead. I’m not that tired, I’ll stay with Fallon for a little longer.”

I shoot him an appreciative glance, mumbling goodbyes to the others as they turn to head back in the direction of the complex.

“Thanks, Boyd,” I say once our friends have cleared out. “It just feels like a waste of a session if I leave before I get it down, y’know?”

“Yeah, of course,” he breathes, flashing a goofy grin. “You know I’ve always got you, Fallon. Whatever you need.”

Eeks. The way he’s looking at me right now teeters over the line of platonic friendship, making me slightly uncomfortable. I mean, it’s nothing new; Boyd has always been a flirt, and I’ve always brushed it off- but it just feels different now that there’s someone in my life that I actually have non-platonic feelings for. I decide to ignore and push past it, get back down to business.

“C’mon, let’s try that takedown again,” I say, moving across from Boyd into sparring position.

He looks a little bit discouraged, but he acquiesces. Once Boyd’s in position, I waste no time in coming at him, trying to recreate the move exactly as Casey taught us- juking to the right, then the left, then going for a sweep of his legs with one of my own. I don’t time it right, and Boyd fends me off easily. Rather than taking him down, I find myself flat on my butt in the dirt, panting.

“Ugh!” I groan. I push to my feet, brushing off my leggings. “Again.”

I don’t know why I can’t get this damn move down. It seems so easy and my friends were able to pick it up quickly. Each failed attempt only leaves me more frustrated, more prone to sloppy mistakes.

I retake my position opposite Boyd and start all over. This time, I try to focus, but I go left first instead of right, which throws me off when it comes to the sweep. I try with my opposite leg, but it gets tangled in Boyd’s and we both wind up losing our balance, crashing to the dirt. I let out an ‘umph’ as my back hits the dirt and Boyd’s chest crashes down on top of mine.

I don’t know why- maybe it’s stress, or frustration, or maybe I’m just deliriously tired after another grueling day of putting my body through hell with training- but I’m suddenly struck by how ridiculous I feel right now and I let out a loud laugh as Boyd starts to push off of me.

He stops, hovering over me, pressing his palms into the dirt on either side of my body in a push-up position.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, gazing down at me and cracking a smile.

“Ah, fuck,” I giggle, feeling half crazed. “This is fucking hopeless!”

Boyd laughs with me, shaking his head. “You’ll get it, you…”

“What’s going on here?” A deep voice cuts through the quiet of the forest and goosebumps immediately break out all over my body.

I know that voice.

Gray.

Startled, Boyd quickly pushes off of me, rising to his feet and offering me his arm. I take it, pulling up off the ground, looking around wildly until my eyes land on the tall figure across the clearing.

He’s back! My wolf surges forward with delight and I’m practically giddy, jogging to meet him halfway as he stalks forward in my direction.

I open my mouth to speak, but Gray cuts me off.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” he growls. His eyes are dark, save for the golden swirls of his wolf.

Shit. He looks pissed. It must’ve looked bad, stumbling upon Boyd and me out in the woods at night. Okay, it definitely looked bad, Boyd was lying on top of me! Even though it was completely innocent, I’m sure it appeared otherwise.

“We’ve been trying to do some extra training at night, and the others went back but Boyd stayed to help me work on a move that Casey taught us, and…” I’m talking a mile a minute, my thoughts pouring out of my mouth like word vomit.

Gray cuts me off again, looking past me, to Boyd. “You shouldn’t be out here at night unless you’re on patrol,” he barks. “Get back to the barracks immediately, recruits.”

“But…” I start, trailing off as Gray steps toward me and leans in close. I can feel his breath on my ear, sending tingles down my spine.

“We’ll discuss this later,” he murmurs, barely audible. There’s a sharp edge to his voice that makes me bristle. “My room, one hour.”

Although it’s evident that Gray’s not happy with me in this moment, his invitation sends a flood of molten heat coursing through my body. I’m already imaging us in his room, naked and tangled, panting and sweating… my wolf practically howls in anticipation.

I hear Boyd’s footsteps approaching from behind, crunching twigs underneath his feet in the dirt of the forest floor. Gray steps back, staring down at me irritably and furrowing his brow.

I can’t help myself- this feels so reminiscent of the times that I’ve pissed him off and he ‘punished’ me in the most deliciously sinful ways. Almost involuntarily, my lips tip up into a smirk.

“Yes sir,” I say, my voice breathy, seductive.

His eyes immediately brighten with golden shimmers.

I swear it feels like my body’s being pulled to his like a magnet- it almost physically pains me to maintain my distance as I stand across from Gray.

Boyd comes up beside me, sliding an arm around my shoulders familiarly. I watch as Gray’s jaw twitches and his piercing gaze flies to Boyd. If looks could kill…

“C’mon, Fallon.” Boyd urges me forward, and I can feel Gray’s icy stare slicing through me as we walk past him toward the complex.

Boyd’s got balls, I’ll give him that. I’m pretty sure he’s suspected that there’s something going on between Gray and I, and he basically just openly challenged him. Maybe Boyd’s purposely trying to provoke him to confirm his suspicions, but Gray doesn’t bite.

I should be glad. I mean, I don’t want it getting out that I’m sleeping with one of the alphas. I’d lose all credibility at training camp. But somehow it also feels a little bit like a let-down.

“Jeez, that guy’s intense,” Boyd mumbles as we pass through the gate.

“Yeah,” I breathe, rolling my eyes.

You have no idea.